Why facing the Lakers was good for Splitter

PHOENIX — To the untrained eye, much of the Spurs’ short-handed loss to the L.A. Lakers on Tuesday night looked like a bit like a fun pick-up game, at least for the guys in silver and black. With four starters resting, and the pressure off, the remaining Spurs just went out and played hoops.

“The main goal was just to have fun,” guard George Hill said.

For rookie center Tiago Splitter, thrust into a starting role against Pau Gasol and (for a quarter) Andrew Bynum, this was not recess. It was school.

“It was a good class on how to play against them,” Splitter said before the team’s charter plane left for tonight’s season finale in Phoenix. “I’m think I’m learning how to play them, how to defend them, how to attack them.”

When the 6-foot-11 Splitter signed with the Spurs in July, the first thought was that he might help even the size gap between the Spurs and their gargantuan rivals in Hollywood. Not only do the Lakers boast a pair of 7-footers in the starting lineup, they can also bring versatile 6-foot-10 forward Lamar Odom off the bench.

Tuesday’s game, the second-to-last outing of the season, marked the first time Splitter had been afforded significant minutes against the Lakers. The results were at times promising, and at times reflecting how far the big Brazilian still has to go.

But NBA games are rarely pass-fail. Splitter showed some skills that could be useful in a playoff series against the Lakers, particularly his footwork and activity on the defensive end.

His poor shooting numbers, meanwhile, can be at least partially attributed to play fish-out-of-water on offense. At this point in his career, Splitter still appears far more comfortable finishing pick-and-rolls, as opposed to playing with his back to the basket in the low block.

With the Spurs’ two best pick-and-roll guards (Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker) out, Splitter too often found himself with the ball on the block working one-on-one against Gasol. Hence, 30 percent shooting.

“Some days, you don’t know why, but you feel more comfortable playing in the post,” Splitter said. “Other days, you feel more comfortable in the pick and roll. Today, I wasn’t lucky with my shots.”

When it comes to Splitter and his eventual usefulness in the playoffs, perhaps the most important number of his box score was that 27:51. The only way he’s going to learn to hang with elite NBA big men is to play against them. He can learn even from failure.

That’s why, when his teammates were still at recess Tuesday, Splitter was still in class.